p2pnet.net News:- Encyclopædia Britannica, The Ligatured Encyclopædia, announced its immediate semi-hostile takeover of the Wikimedia Foundation (to be known henceforth as Wikimædia) and all of its projects, including Wikipedia (now Wikipædia), Wikisource, Wikiquote, Wikibooks, and Wikinews.

Our picture shows the Encyclopædia Britannica legal team completing transfer of Wikipedia assets. Wales is the one with the beard.

In a brief statement to the New York Times from his Maui survivalist compound, founder Jimmy Wales was reported to be “extremely pleased” with the £633.7 million ($1,190,336,949.64 at the time of writing) severance package given to each of the five-and-a-half trustees of the Wikimædia Foundation.

Wikipædia is best known as the “encyclop[a]edia” that any old fool can edit, says an announcementg on the site, going on:

Despite the board’s confidence, some Britannica investors privately indicated financial concerns about the deal, noting that `the Wikipedia wasn’t really a free encyclopædia after all.` Economy measures expected to be implemented as part of the agreement include an immediate restriction on contributions to Wikipædia and its sister projects to those that have already signed formal agreements with Britannica and an immediate appropriation of all funds donated during the last funding drive to be divided amongst previous contributors to Britannica.

Users will now probaby have to pay £99.97 (187.775 attow) /page in to create or edit a page in either the English or American languages.

Affordable fee localisation will be provided for wikipædias of economically troubled states, says the organization.

Wikipædia administrators, members of the Wikimædia Board of Trustees, Arbitration Committee members and several other cabalists will receive free access. However, their adminship powers will be stripped permanently.

Prospective contributors are welcome to sign up at Encyclopædia Britannica’s Web site and send proposals in outline format using Courier New exclusively, says the Wikimedia Foundation, adding:

Contributions handed in on time and in simple English (only) will make the contributor eligible for a grand prize drawing of a rare 1956 photo of Margaret Thatcher dating from her burlesque days.

[Not for the faint of heart Ed]

Contributors will in both word and deed release, indemnify, hold harmless, op. cit., and terra firma in the sole possession of Encyclopædia Britannica and its heirs and assigns, trustees, justices of the peace, bailiffs, playwrights, movie directors, notaries public, et aliter, pro bono, deus ex machina, ceteris paribus, and Notary Sojack. Nothing in this agreement should be construed to release, exempt, hold harmless, harmless hold or in any way free the contributor from the presumption that said party is a damned fool and deserves what he gets. This agreement is made under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Liechtenstein except for section 1(a), 4(c) and all of the part the dog ate, which fall under laws in force when men were men, the women were glad of it, and the sheep were nervous (and everyone fell asleep). In case of confusion, this agreement reverts to the laws of Saint Lucia and six of its 11 quarters.

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See:-
Wikimedia Foundation - Britannica takeover of Wikimedia, April 1, 2005

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